Hey everyone! Aubrey here from @projectsilhouette! Summer is nearing its end (say what?!) and the stores are brimming with pencils, backpacks, and binders. Sending my kids back to school is definitely bittersweet. I'm excited for them to make new friends, learn new concepts, and gain more confidence in their learning; however, I always get nervous about them feeling left out, having to eat lunch by themselves, or other kids being mean. Those are real worries! So I decided to talk to my kids about the quote from Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." If you want to have friends, be a friend. If you want people to be kind, be kind to them. So for this back-to-school t-shirt I decided to remind my kids to "Be the change." Here's how to make your own!

Open your software program (I used Silhouette Studio) and use the text tool to type your phrase.

I like to add some fill color to my font so I can get a better idea of what it will look like. Then pick a font you like. I chose a fun block font that looked like it was stamped.

Now I want to move each letter around to customize my design. Right-click each word and select ungroup. This will separate each letter into individual pieces instead of one word.

Now I can manipulate each separate letter and turn them into more of a playful design. After I have each letter where I want it, it's time to group everything back together. Select all the letters, right click and choose group.

Now we've got our design made and can be resized to fit your shirt.

STEP TWO: Cut out design with Heat Transfer Vinyl

Before cutting, we need to mirror our image. Select your design, right-click and choose flip horizontally. Since we cut on the back side of HTV, we need to mirror our design.

Load your HTV into your machine, with shiny side down. Then let your machine get to work!

STEP THREE: Weed designs

After your machine finishes cutting your whole design, peel off the vinyl that is not part of the design. If it was a good, clean cut then weeding should go smoothly!

Next, use a weeding hook or a pair of crafting tweezers and weed out the little insides of each letter.

Continue until the whole design has been weeded.

STEP FOUR: Iron HTV onto shirt

Heat up your iron. If using a heat press, follow the manufacturer's guidelines for temperature settings. Iron out the wrinkles in your shirt to create a smooth surface.

Next, place your weeded design onto your shirt, right side up. You can play around with placement until heat is added.

Now place a teflon sheet or thin cloth over your shirt and iron each section with good pressure for at least 15-20 seconds. Lift up and repeat until the whole design has been done.

Wait for the vinyl to cool at least 20 seconds and carefully peel off the clear carrier sheet. If any part of the vinyl design starts to peel up, place the carrier sheet back down and add some more heat and pressure.

Now our shirt is finished and ready to be worn with pride! It's a great reminder for all of us to be what we want to see in the world!

Remember to join the Craftey community for more project inspiration and check out the amazing shop prices while you're there!